A common type of packaging is corrugated boxes. These packages are sealed prior to storage or shipment and much of the sealing is done with pressure sensitive adhesive tape, which is simply cellophane backed adhesive tape. Previously, while there are various types of hand held versions of dispensers for pressure sensitive tape, current designs employ a spatula and or a retractable cutter that protrudes via pressure being exerted on the spatula. This requires the user to apply a perfect balance of pressure to the spatula and toward the cutter and position the dispenser at the perfect angle. The desired result is a clean cut in the tape at the desired length applied to the package.
All too often, if the balance of pressure and the angle is not correct, the result is the tape cut being longer than the desired length or a cut that is frayed by the jagged cutting blade. Moreover, the various manufactures of pressure sensitive tape have different strengths of adhesive, different tape materials, and different thicknesses resulting in variability that changes the user's technique to yield an acceptable cut.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,762,586 to Wilkie (1988) has a manually operated trigger that operates the cutter, but does not lock the roll of tape. If the cutter isn't applied just right, the tape will continue to dispense, resulting in excess tape with a less than perfect cut.
Prior art also includes various adjuncts such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,506,835B2 to Huong (2009) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,401A Huang (1992) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,645 to Lissoni (1996) that apply friction to the tape reel to maintain a uniform tension. This approach is helpful to keep the tape taut while applying the tape around the right angles of the container, but doesn't positively stop the tape for cutting. There is a delicate balance of how much tension to put the spool holding the roll of tape. With too little tension, the tape roll continues spinning after the cut because of the sudden loss of tension. When the tape roll spins, the tape unravels and becomes entangled. When this occurs, the user must locate the end of the tape on the roll and rethread it through the dispenser. Conversely, with too much tension on the tape reel, it requires excessive effort to dispense the tape. To complicate matters worse, the amount of effort to dispense the tape changes as the diameter of the roll changes. That is, the roll gets smaller as the tape is consumed.
The tape brake in U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,474B2 to Shah (2003) is suitable for a narrow tape dispenser common in an office environment. It relies on the strength of the user's two fingers to stop the dispensing of the tape. Furthermore, since it requires the user's hand to reach around the roll of tape, it is not practical for rolls with larger diameter or width such as the two inch wide tape used to close packages.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,374,139 to Fritzinger (1964) named Tape Dispenser with Hand Brake, applies variable pressure to increase tension or stop the dispensing of the tape. This mechanical design is very complex and relatively expensive to manufacture. This is evident by the lack of widespread commercialization.
Moreover, it often requires the user to exert increasing pressure as the desire for more tension increases. Lastly, the means used to increase tension and stop the tape when it comes in direct contact with the adhesive side of the tape thereby adversely affecting the strength of the adhesive and increasing the propensity to jamb or become tangled.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention are the ability of the user to decisively choose the exact point to terminate and then cut the tape. This is achieved with a single finger operated trigger that is accessible with the same hand that is holding the tape dispenser. Because of the slow speed the tape unwinds and the brake is sudden not gradual. With the dispensing of the tape halted, the user can then perform the cut at the desired point thus eliminated “run on” tape.
With the reel and supply roll positively stopped, the tape supply cannot keep spinning and tangle thus eliminating wasted tape. Additionally, there are fewer instances of tape becoming tangled eliminating the need to rethread the tape in the dispenser thus decreasing work stoppages and increasing productivity.
The advantage of a sudden stop is the same low strength effort is required to stop the tape from dispensing irrespective of tape thickness, materials, or quantity of the remaining tape on the roll. That is, the effort doesn't change as the size of the tape supply roll changes when it gets smaller as the tape is consumed. Moreover, the different types of tapes vary as to thickness and strength of material. The variability in materials will not change the effort required to depress the trigger and positively stop the tape from dispensing.
Positively stopping the dispensing of tape will also compensate for a dull cutting blade. That is, the dispenser will perform consistently when the cutting blade degrades.
The design of the tape break mechanism has fewer moving parts than its and is simpler to manufacture than previous devices that tension or stop the tape from dispensing. Moreover, the design uses the same simple procedure to load the tape as contemporary tape dispensers. The trigger and braking mechanism is contained within the contemporary design rendering it less vulnerable to destruction if dropped.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuring description.